G IS FOR GROOVE
Robert Weingarten helped the L.A. Philharmonic get into the swing of things with a lively opening night tribute to Duke Ellington. More than 400 guests including Ginny Mancini, Eli Broad, John Van de Kamp and Marilyn and Alan Bergman enjoyed a champagne reception and silent auction before settling in for an evening of music, dining and dancing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
The program featured soprano Audra McDonald, composer Quincy Jones and the Sultans of Swing backed by the full orchestra and its collection of doghouses, gob sticks and skins (that’s jive talk for bass, clarinet and drums.) Right off the bat, they had the joint jumping with favorites like “Sophisticated Lady,” “Mood Indigo” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”
After the country’s recent terrorist attacks, Jones spoke of the need to celebrate artists like Ellington, who embody the American spirit, and promptly dedicated “Take the A Train” to the people of New York. The guest conductor, who had just returned from the site, shared his experiences, saying, “People call New York hard and cynical. Well, let me tell you, I’ve never seen so much compassion and selflessness in my entire life as I just saw in New York.”
The show closed with “Harlem Suite” and the black-tie-clad clan made its way upstairs for a VIP boogie with the dinning area decked out like a 1940’s supper club. The Sultans dished out some dazzling dance tunes that had even the most conservative cats in this crowd cutting loose. While the Phil will be moving on to more traditional fare in the weeks to come, this glittering gala turned out to be an exciting departure, giving everyone a reason to just get jazzed.
STARS, STRIPES AND SID
Visions of Old Glory attracted a young hip crowd at this year’s Late Night at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Leather-clad, mohawk-wearing, combat boot-stomping trendies turned out in droves to admire the patriotic paintings of Jasper Johns and the mind boggling creations of Jeff Koons.
The group got a private viewing of Eli Broad’s impressive modern collection, which also features works by Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. There was a conversation piece at every turn from Johns’ red, white and blue flag canvases to Charles Ray’s anatomically correct replica of his own genitalia and my personal favorite–Koons’ kitchy larger-than-life porcelain homage to Michael Jackson and Bubbles the chimp.
The art lovers were as colorful as the creations they admired. Between the flaming spiked dos, safety pin accessories and torn tees, I left restless, asking myself that burning question: Is punk back? and if so, why? Like Eli’s art, these sorts of gatherings expand the horizon. So if you’ve been lamenting the disappearance of Devo, take heart, the Sex Pistols have resurfaced. Sid Vicious lives.